Director — future vision x prize - a job post by Matthew Diteljan
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Director — Future Vision X Prize
| Seeking | Director |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Canada, New York City, New York, Los Angeles, California and Vancouver, Canada |
| Status | |
| Genre | Drama • Science Fiction • Thriller / Suspense |
| Date Added | Apr 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date Updated | Apr 28, 2026 |
| Deadline | Aug 8, 2026 |
About the job
Director — 3-Minute AI-Cinematic Trailer ("Enlightened Earth")
XPRIZE Future Vision Submission • August 8, 2026 deadline • Remote Position
The Story We're Telling
Imagine humanity gets it right.
A future where AI is not a threat but a partner in consciousness. Where free, regenerative energy ends scarcity. Where nature, technology, and humans live in harmony — and a generation finally chooses unity over separation.
We're producing a 3-minute cinematic trailer that lets audiences feel this future in their bodies. Not as fantasy. As a real possibility they could help build.
If the idea of telling that story stops you in your tracks, keep reading.
What This Project Is
Enlightened Earth is being submitted to the XPRIZE Future Vision contest — a $2.5M production financing prize plus $100K cash for the winning submission. The contest invites filmmakers to depict humanity's best possible future. Our deliverables are a 3-minute cinematic trailer and a 12-page treatment, due August 15, 2026.
The story is locked. Our writing team — two veteran sci-fi screenwriters with feature credits — is finalizing the trailer script and feature treatment now. By the time you join, the narrative spine will be set: characters, beats, philosophical frame, the works.
Your job is making it land. Every emotional beat. The lump in the throat. The moment a viewer thinks "I want to live there." That's what wins this. That's the gap on our team.
The Role
You are the Director. The captain of the trailer. You own:
- Emotional landing. Each beat hits the audience the way it's supposed to.
- Performance. Whether that means directing AI-generated characters with our AI Cinematic Director, or directing live face/voice talent — we're testing both. You'll help us decide which path serves the story best.
- The cut, working alongside our AI Cinematic Director.
- Music and sound design choices.
- Pacing and rhythm — the heartbeat of the piece.
You'll work in close partnership with:
- AI Cinematic Director — owns the visual pipeline (VEO, Runway, Kling, Midjourney, Luma, Suno). Generates the imagery and audio you direct.
- Creative Director — owns the story canon and worldbuilding. He has signed off on the script.
- Writers — delivering the locked script June 1.
- Producer — owns delivery, budget, and team.
You will have final call on shot decisions within the locked story.
Timeline
| Phase | Dates | Your Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Script lock + workflow build | mid-May – June 1 | Script notes, AI/actor workflow tests with team |
| Production | June 1 – July 20 | Heads-down, daily collaboration on shot generation |
| Post | July 20 – August 8 | Cut, music, sound, final emotional polish |
| Submission | August 15 | Done |
Anticipated start: mid-to-late May.
Who We're Looking For
Required:
- Direct experience directing trailers, short-form cinematic, or commercial work with strong emotional storytelling
- Festival or award credits — or trailers / short-form work attached to projects with real credits
- Comfortable working with AI generation as a creative partner, not against it
- Willing to step into a story you didn't originate and make it sing
- Strong instincts for performance — whether shaping AI-generated characters or directing live talent
Bonus:
- Trailer directing as your primary craft
- Sci-fi or speculative-future genre experience
- Sound design or music supervision instincts
- Experience directing live actors (face and/or voice) — useful if our testing leads us toward a hybrid AI/live workflow
This isn't the right fit if:
- You need to own the story or originate the narrative
- You see AI as a threat to traditional craft
- You're an "I am the visionary" type who can't co-create with an AI Cinematic Director
- You generate AI imagery but don't think in terms of performance and emotion
Compensation
Compensation: $5,000–$9,000 USD total project fee, commensurate with experience.
Engagement: May 15 – August 8 (~12 weeks). Estimated 8–12 hours/week, with intensive milestone period
How to Apply
Please respond to this job posting with the below invcluded:
- Reel link — directing work that demonstrates emotional storytelling
- A short answer (200 words max): What excites you about telling this story? What's the first thing you'd want to keep the same, and the first thing you'd want to change?
- Your rate or rate range — flat fee, day rate, or whatever structure works for you. Open to back-end consideration if there's strong philosophical alignment.
Every application is read personally. If your answer resonates, you'll hear back within 48 hours. Deadline to apply is May 3 11:59pm.
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I've directed festival recognized short film exploring earth transformation, most notably "The Missing Curriculum", which visualized how consciousness shapes institutions. That work sparked years of deep research into what people genuinely imagine when they think of world full of harmony and humanity. Not utopian fantasy, down to earth, grounded, livable futures. Real conversations. Real visions. That research led to "I Am the System", a feature exploring what systems designed for genuine harmony actually look like with a collective transformation. When I read the Enlightened Earth brief, it felt like serendipity. This isn't a story I'm learning. It's one I've been building the case for.
"The Missing Curriculum" showcased one side of the equation. I couldn't integrate AI due to budget constraints. What excites me here is that this is finally the moment I bring AI into the shared vision and make audiences feel that shift: "this is possible" to "I want to be part of building this." That's what I do with cinematic storytelling. Directing with an AI Cinematic Director is the aligned choice. Emotional truth, pacing, sensory specificity are my tools.
What I'd keep: The narrative spine. The philosophical integrity. The character specificity. Locked for a reason.
What I'd sharpen: The sensory moments. Performance choices that ground "enlightened" in "real." The sound and pacing that turns intellectual agreement into visceral longing.
I have a real and transformative emotional vision. I've spent 7 years understanding what genuine harmony looks like. Now I'll direct audiences to feel it in their bodies. That's when they feel and think "I want to live there and help build it."
The Missing Curriculum short film: https://youtu.be/54yvTBFPnSk?si=gykBZss0B7V2xonW